text: Because of the diverse range of elements and the correspondingly diverse properties of the resulting derivatives, inorganic chemistry is closely associated with many methods of analysis.  Older methods tended to examine bulk properties such as the electrical conductivity of solutions, melting points, solubility, and acidity.  With the advent of quantum theory and the corresponding expansion of electronic apparatus, new tools have been introduced to probe the electronic properties of inorganic molecules and solids.  Often these measurements provide insights relevant to theoretical models. Commonly encountered techniques are:
  * X-ray crystallography: This technique allows for the 3D determination of molecular structures.
  * Various forms of spectroscopy:
  ** Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy: Historically, this has been an important tool, since many inorganic compounds are strongly colored
  ** NMR spectroscopy: Besides H and C many other NMR-active nuclei (e.g., B, F, P, and Pt) can give important information on compound properties and structure.  The NMR of paramagnetic species can provide important structural information. Proton (H) NMR is also important because the light hydrogen nucleus is not easily detected by X-ray crystallography.
  ** Infrared spectroscopy: Mostly for absorptions from carbonyl ligands
  ** Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy
  ** Mössbauer spectroscopy
  ** Electron-spin resonance: ESR (or EPR) allows for the measurement of the environment of paramagnetic metal centres.
  * Electrochemistry: Cyclic voltammetry and related techniques probe the redox characteristics of compounds.